Maybe This Time
by Cass3
Summary: (Ranma & Ryouga) A story about friendship and second chances at love. Just as Ranma and Ryouga rebuild their friendship, the love between Akane and Ranma crumbles. But maybe the next time Ranma falls in love, the next time he surrenders his heart, it woul


MAYBE THIS TIME  
---------------  
  
FANFIC BY CASS  
  
C&C are most welcome. Send them to chiaty@singnet.com.sg  
Http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chiaty  
  
Flames will be used to warm up my freezing toes.  
  
[ ] = thoughts  
  
ALERT! This is a Ranma/Ryouga pairing, enuff' said.  
  
**********  
  
"Hmm, Teppanyaki or Big Mac?" pondered the black-haired boy   
aloud, uncaring of the other pedestrians' stares. "I can get   
five pieces of sushi for free with Teppanyaki set lunch. But the   
Big Mac meal is cheaper." It was during times like these that he   
_almost_ wished the whole fiancée debacle wasn't over, just so   
that he could enjoy free meals at the Nekohanten and at Ucchans.   
  
Lost in the debate over his choices, he almost missed a familiar   
boy strolling along with a lost, bewildered expression, clutching   
his worn backpack in one hand. "Ryouga!"  
  
The boy turned back and Ranma silently took in the nicer clothes   
and the neat haircut. Still, the eternally lost boy had a   
certain air of wilderness in him that could not be masked by a   
wardrobe change.   
  
"Ranma," acknowledged Ryouga as he glanced at the nearby shops.   
"These buildings are new?"   
  
"Yeah. Finished about a month ago." [He didn't realise that he   
was back in Nerima] thought Ranma. A few months ago, he would   
have made jokes about Ryouga's sense of direction but what came   
out was a mild question. "So how's Akari?" he asked, following a   
hunch.   
  
True to form, Ryouga blushed. "She's ok. I'm heading back to my   
old house, so I thought I'll drop by and see how's everyone."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Wanna spar?" His cocky grin conveyed what he   
knew the outcome would be.   
  
A slight smile graced his lips as Ryouga adopted a typical   
martial arts stance. "Sure, somebody has to kick your ass."  
  
A fist aiming at Ryouga's chin was the other boy's answer.  
  
**********   
  
As the day stretched, their friendship had returned. Or maybe it   
had never been lost, merely hidden behind the petty anger,   
jealousy and pride. But as they matured, they were given the   
second chance to form the friendship that he thought was possible   
the first time he had laid eyes on Hibiki Ryouga on the day of   
the curry bread incident. [Well, anything is possible.] Humming   
a cheery tune, Ranma leapt to the rooftops, heading for the Tendo   
dojo for their second match of the day, knowing instinctively   
that Ryouga was right behind.  
  
**********  
  
Both boys stretched out on the rooftop, admiring the night sky   
lit up by a sprinkling of stars. Neither spoke, content to just   
bask in the view and in each other's presence for the moment.   
But Ranma was never the silent, contemplative type and within a   
few minutes, this silence soon became awkward.   
  
He loudly expelled the breath he was holding and turned towards   
his companion. "So what happened after you left Nerima the last   
time?"   
  
The lost boy didn't reply and Ranma cursed his insensitivity.   
[Great, just great, Ranma. You want to be his friend again and   
what do you do? Remind him of how he left here broken-hearted   
after Akane announced she loved you and you replied that you felt   
the same.] Before he could change the subject, Ryouga commented,   
with a bemused expression, "Still have a fondness for putting   
your feet in your mouth, eh Ranma? I thought Akane's mallet   
would have cured you of that already."  
  
"Hey!" the blue-eyed boy blurted out in protest.  
  
"I thought I heard my name. Was the pervert badmouthing me,   
Ryouga?"   
  
Both boys turned back to face the speaker. "Hi, Akane," Ryouga   
called out, smiling shyly.  
  
[She still looks the same,] thought Ryouga as he took in her warm   
brown eyes and friendly expression. Her hair was still styled in   
the same bob cut, framing her features beautifully.   
  
Akane smiled in reply and scrambled up the roof, allowing Ranma   
to help her up. She squeezed between the two, clutching Ranma's   
hand for a moment longer than necessary. She noticed Ryouga   
watching her and quickly leaned away from Ranma.   
  
"So, nice night, isn't it?"   
  
Ryouga nodded.  
  
"And wasn't Kasumi's curry fishhead scrumptious? I've been   
learning that recipe but I just can't seem to reproduce the same   
dish. Maybe I didn't put enough curry powder. I mean, that is   
the most important ingredient, right? Curry, I mean. What's   
curry fishhead without the curry?" She laughed nervously, a tint   
of red gracing her cheeks.  
  
"Oh I don't know, maybe that brown lumpy stuff you cooked last   
Thursday night? Fishhead a la Akane," replied Ranma blandly.  
  
Her cheeks burned brightly, from embarrassment and anger. "See   
if I'll cook anything for you again, Ranma! I tried so hard to   
cook a meal just for you and instead you..." she trailed off as   
she suddenly remembered Ryouga's presence.  
  
"It's ok. I'm uh... I'm seeing Akari now." He ducked his head,   
wishing his bangs were long enough to conceal the redness on his   
cheeks.  
  
"Why that's great!" exclaimed the girl. "I'm really glad for   
you. Are you helping out at her grandfather's pig farm?"  
  
He nodded. "I help train the piglets. Akari says that it's   
never too early to train them. But enough about me, anything   
interesting happened recently?"  
  
"Well, Kuno still hasn't given up on Ranko yet and once, he   
turned up during the school holidays with five truckloads of red   
roses! Nabiki was all smiles the entire day, reselling those   
flowers at a handsome profit. In fact, Kasumi told me that   
Nabiki fell asleep, hugging her abacus to her chest, murmuring   
something like, 'A dozen roses for five thousand yen!'"   
  
"Stupid Kuno. I've transformed in front of him several times and   
he still doesn't get it," grumbled Ranma while the others   
continued laughing.  
  
The roar of distant thunder curtailed further conversation as the   
trio hurriedly retreated to the warm shelter of the Tendo   
residence. With a yawn, Ryouga entered the guest bedroom he was   
sharing with Ranma and his father, while the pair headed towards   
the kitchen for a drink.  
  
She flicked on the light switch, bathing the kitchen in a yellow   
glow. It seemed romantic, being here with Ranma at two a.m., the   
pattering sound of raindrops hitting the windowpanes helping to   
create an illusion that they were the only ones in the world.   
Humming softly, she fixed two steaming mugs of hot chocolate and   
handed one to Ranma. His fingers brushed past hers as he grasped   
the handle and took one long sip.  
  
"You knew all along that Ryouga was dating Akari, didn't you?   
And yet you let me make a fool of myself just now, trying not to   
hurt his feelings," accused the youngest Tendo daughter.  
  
Schooling his face into an expression of innocence, he rapidly   
denied it. "No. I'm just as surprised as you were. Honest."  
  
Akane frowned, catching the mischievous look in his blue eyes.   
"Ranma," she warned.  
  
He chuckled softly, aware that some members of this household   
were light sleepers, very light sleepers in fact. "You looked so   
cute, chatting about curry fishhead." He leaned forward and   
gently kissed her forehead. She drew back, unwilling to forgive   
him so easily. "So very cute," he murmured as his lips moved   
tantalisingly close towards her, just barely an inch away.   
  
Like a moth to a flame, she automatically leaned towards him, her   
lips searching his desperately. As the kiss deepened, she placed   
her own mug on the counter and hugged Ranma's waist tightly. [I   
don't ever want to let you go.]  
  
The two mugs of hot chocolate sat side by side on the countertop,   
forgotten until morning.  
  
**********  
  
The next few days passed quickly, in a whirl of schoolwork and   
martial arts training. And the nights were spent in   
companionable silence, stargazing on the Tendo rooftop. [Maybe   
if I hadn't left, this would be how we would have become, friends   
and not rivals] mused Ranma as he snuck a glance at the sleeping   
boy next to him. [And I wouldn't have it any other way.]   
"Goodnight, friend," he whispered as he rolled on his side and   
closed his eyes.  
  
Inches away, the lost boy shifted slightly, a soft smile gracing   
his lips.   
  
**********  
  
He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, watching as   
Ryouga said goodbye to everyone, including the panda. Something   
about the polite, formal way Ryouga bowed to the men, the   
grateful words he expressed to Kasumi, seemed different and out-  
of-place. The strange sense of foreboding only increased as the   
martial artist turned to speak to Akane. The farewell seemed   
so... final, realised Ranma. [Ryouga never said he was coming   
back.] His heart raced as the boy bowed once again to Mr. Tendo,   
thanking him for his kind hospitality. Would he come back? What   
if this was just a detour on the map for him, a need to settle   
the past before moving on?  
  
"Goodbye Ranma."   
  
['Goodbye', not a simple 'see you later' or a determined promise   
like countless others 'I'll defeat you the next time we meet'.]   
Startled, Ranma could only nod. Blue eyes tracked Ryouga's back   
as he walked towards the door, clutching a lunchbox filled with   
Kasumi's treats in one hand and his umbrella in another.   
  
[Will he come back? Will he _want_ to come back?]  
  
Leaping into action, he dashed out of the house, slamming the   
door shut in his haste. "Wait!" he shouted as he caught up to   
Ryouga.  
  
"I'll walk you there," offered Ranma. "Otherwise, there's no   
telling when you'll reach your destination." He grinned to show   
that he was kidding.   
  
Relief shone in those big brown eyes, giving the Saotome boy a   
surge of strength and hope. "When you come back, I'll be   
stronger than before," he promised loudly, before realising how   
cocky his words sounded.   
  
"We'll see about that," was Ryouga's cryptic reply.   
  
**********  
  
The glare of the afternoon sun was no deterrent to a particular   
lanky martial artist, as he walked on top of the fence with ease   
and fluidity that tightrope performers would be envious of. The   
higher altitude was like a physical demonstration of how he felt   
inside - jubilation and a sense of excitement wondering about the   
immediate future. Like a child who had eaten ice-cream and   
looking forward to the chocolates promised later.   
  
Feet firmly planted on the pavement, enjoying the shade cast by   
the occasional cherry tree, the short-haired girl, wearing the   
regulation sailor fuku, glanced up occasionally, eyes squinting   
in mild annoyance.  
"Can't you walk on the pavement for once?" complained Akane as   
she matched her boyfriend's pace, stride for stride. [I'm   
getting a crick on my neck just watching him!] An hazy image of   
an old man wearing a red embroidered Chinese shirt shuffling   
along, each step forward on the fence a test of his balance and a   
old woman looking worriedly below flitted by like a cloud,   
elusive, yet memorable.   
  
He grinned at his girlfriend but continued his path on top of the   
fence surrounding the various houses.   
  
Certain that her cheeks had stopped burning, she stole a peek at   
her love, who was cartwheeling all the way to their home. "Show-  
off!" muttered Akane, as she started running.   
  
**********  
  
"Ranma! Prepare to die!"   
  
"What!" He whirled around, braid whipping forward due to his   
sudden movement, trying to find the speaker.  
  
A muscular figure dressed in various shades of brown, carrying   
his ever-present backpack leaped out of a cherry tree. As the   
attacker struck a familiar pose, Ranma beamed and ran forward.  
  
"Ryouga! You're back! But I had only received your letter   
yesterday. How did you manage to reach here so fast?"  
  
A long haired girl, dressed in a simple blue dress, stepped out   
from her hiding place and bowed. "Good afternoon, Ranma."   
  
"Hi, Akari. So she's your secret weapon, Ryouga. Did you have   
much trouble getting him to walk in a straight line?" Although   
the question was directed at Akari, Ranma's gaze never left the   
lost boy.  
  
The boy growled at the barb and lunged forward.   
  
Hours later, when the glare of the sun had finally given way to   
the soft glow of the moon, both boys strolled into the Tendo   
home. Their dirty and wrinkled clothes foretold of the great   
battles they had fought while the smirk on Ranma's face showed   
who had emerged the victor. They missed dinner but Kasumi had,   
like always, thoughtfully kept some leftovers warm for them.   
Dessert was ice-cream and cokes for all except for Ranma who had   
developed a taste for coffee since last semester - to stay awake   
during class.  
  
"He's been a great help, training the piglets into becoming great   
sumo pigs like Katsunishiki. And the piglets have really taken   
to him," remarked Akari proudly.  
  
"Wow, that's wonderful." Akane glanced at the male in question,   
who was steadfastly stirring his glass of Coke.  
  
"In a few years, our piglets will be ready for competition. I   
just can't wait to see the darlings defeat all the competitors!   
Then, Ryouga's skill as a sumo pig trainer will be recognised,"   
continued Akari.  
  
Ranma smirked as he realised how embarrassed Ryouga must be to   
hear such lavish praises. An intensely private individual such   
as Ryouga could probably die of embarrassment or at least suffer   
from a permanent blush if Akari and Akane kept on praising about   
him.   
  
Bored, he drifted in and out of the girls' conversation until he   
heard the words 'made a shirt for Ryouga...pig sewn in front'.   
"You made a shirt for this guy here?" he interjected, eyes   
sparkling with amusement.  
  
Akari blushed harder. "Yes. It has this cute picture of a pig   
sewn on the breastpocket. I'm pretty sure that it'll fit him but   
Ryouga has never worn it yet, so..."  
  
"Why don't you model it for us then, Ryouga?" requested Ranma.  
  
Cold chocolate eyes glared at his tormentor. Thinking quickly,   
he said the first words he uttered since this entire conversation   
started. "No. I didn't bring it along." Then he mentally   
congratulated himself for his fast response.  
  
Ten full minutes later, he walked stiffly down the stairs,   
dressed in his new shirt (which Akari had neatly placed inside   
his backpack). He had wished fervently that he would get lost   
before he found the guest bedroom but like always, his wish was   
not fulfilled. Instead, the first door he tried, was the right   
one.   
  
The two inch tall pink piglet sewn on the left breastpocket,   
while not bearing a resemblance to his own pig form, was cute   
enough to raise his hackles. Like a mannequin, he stood still,   
while the two girls oohed and aahed, forcing himself to endure   
their comments. [Just a while longer and I can take this off,]   
he promised himself. When all the comments had died down and the   
girls were engrossed in another topic, he moved towards the   
direction of the bathroom to change back but a glance at Akari   
halted his action. Her expressive eyes spoke volumes, conveying   
her joy that he was wearing her shirt and disappointment that he   
hated it. But it was her silent acceptance at the fact that he   
would never don it again that stopped Ryouga. [She may not   
understand why but she will not force me to wear it.] Touched,   
he smiled at his girlfriend and sat down.  
  
The answering smile on Akari's face was all the reward he ever   
needed.  
  
Just then, he felt a sudden splash of water soaking his shirt,   
plastering it onto his chest. For a moment, he panicked, fearing   
that it would trigger his transformation into P-chan. He stared   
shell-shocked at Akane, dreading the accusations that would   
surely come.  
  
"Oops! Sorry, Ryouga." Ranma apologised.  
  
He blinked and glanced down at his fingers, wonderful, long   
fingers, rather than short, tiny hoofs.   
  
"You better change out of that shirt and ask Kasumi to wash it   
before the coffee stain dries," advised Akane, shooting Ranma a   
dark look.  
  
The culprit laughed sheepishly, a hand rubbing the back of his   
neck nervously.  
  
"What were you trying to do?" shouted the lost boy as he pulled   
the wet material away from his body. Without waiting for an   
answer, he ran off in search of the bathroom.   
  
**********  
  
He looked on sadly as Ryouga and Akari left, until he couldn't   
see them anymore. The sheer joy he felt over the past three days   
was overshadowed by a pang of melancholy at Ryouga's departure.   
Knowing that Ryouga couldn't stay, not when he had to help out in   
Akari's grandfather's farm, hadn't made Ranma stop wishing that   
Ryouga could stay. He sighed, missing their mock battles   
already. If only he could...No, he should be content. Akane was   
by his side and Ryouga visited every month.  
  
Still, Ranma sighed, if only Ryouga could stay, then he would   
have a decent opponent to face off regularly. Since Shampoo,   
Cologne and the rest had left, Nerima stopped being the martial   
artist magnet for this side of the Pacific Ocean. And without   
enemies popping out of the woodwork every week, taxing his skills   
to the fullest, how was he going to improve?   
  
Ryouga had never came so close to defeating him before, only   
sheer luck prevented a humiliating defeat. While he had remained   
in Nerima, enjoying a peaceful existence, the lost boy's skills   
had improved by leaps and bounds.   
  
"Maybe I should go on a training trip," mused Ranma. He had   
heard of a monastery in China which had some of the most skilled   
martial artists in the world.   
  
"I'll go with you," his girlfriend chipped in eagerly. "But   
it'll have to wait till the school holidays." Noticing the   
irritated look on his face, Akane continued, "School is   
important, Ranma, I wish you could understand that."   
  
Not wishing to start another argument about school, he sighed and   
gave in. "Fine." No sense in arguing about school's debatable   
merits again when they just had this discussion a week ago. It   
seemed to happen very often nowadays. Repetitive arguments about   
one issue or another, never resolved, only abandoned temporarily.   
And he was so very tired. Deep in his heart, he could feel   
Akane's exhaustion too.  
  
**********  
  
"Where's Ranma?" asked Akane as she sat down in her customary   
spot. It wasn't like him to miss dinner.  
  
Kasumi paused in her task of scooping rice into the bowls. "He's   
with Ryouga."   
  
"Ryouga? He's back already?" asked the youngest Tendo daughter.   
"But where's Akari?"  
  
Kasumi frowned, the tiny expression visible only to the family   
members who had learned long ago how to distinguish her moods   
from small gestures or tones. "Ryouga came back a week ago,   
Akane."  
  
"Oh," she remarked, inwardly wondering why Ranma never told her   
about it.   
  
After dinner, Kasumi requested Akane's help in washing the   
dishes. Happy to oblige, Akane quickly grabbed the dirty dishes   
and placed them in the sink. She had barely finished soaping the   
first plate when Kasumi began, "Did Ranma tell you that Ryouga   
would be staying in Nerima for awhile?"  
  
The words sounded kind of familiar and she struggled to remember   
when Ranma had told her. Knowing her sister was still waiting   
for a reply, she hurriedly said, "No?"  
  
"Akane, one shouldn't lie," admonished Kasumi.  
  
"Maybe he did. I was busy cramming for the exams, I wasn't   
paying much attention to what he said."  
  
"Ranma told me that Ryouga has found a place to stay, here in   
Nerima. And that he suspected Ryouga and Akari have broken up."  
  
Akane gasped at this unexpected piece of news.   
  
"Ranma is helping to paint Ryouga's new room today, which is why   
he will be late coming home tonight. He's your boyfriend, Akane.   
You have to spend more time with him. Ranma never came home for   
dinner three times this week, and you only noticed his absence   
now."  
  
"I'm sorry, Kasumi."  
  
"It isn't me you have to apologise to."  
  
**********  
  
"I'm starving," proclaimed Ranma loudly, as he placed his   
paintbrush back into the tin.  
  
Ryouga stopped in midst of his own painting. "I'm getting hungry   
too. Is Chinese takeout, ok?"   
  
Ranma grinned, the new Chinese restaurant down the street did not   
offer cuisine comparable to the Nekohanten but if it was free, he   
had no complaints.   
  
Ryouga placed his tools down and grabbed his wallet. "I'll be   
back soon. Don't slack off, Ranma. Finish painting the north   
wall."  
  
Hearing the front door slam, Ranma smiled mischievously as he   
pulled out an unopened paint can from the cupboard. The deep   
earth tones of the walls coupled with the sponging effect his   
friend was applying, created a very soothing feel to the room.   
It would look great once it was completed. Too bad it would   
never be finished. He chuckled evilly as he opened the can and   
dipped his paintbrush inside. Applying his Kachü Tenshin   
Amaguriken skills, he rapidly painted the room over with shocking   
pink paint, not even leaving out the ceiling.  
  
He scarcely had time to admire his masterpiece when Ryouga   
arrived, carrying two boxes of food.  
  
"What the hell?"   
  
Smiling, Ranma advanced towards the shell-shocked figure.   
"Lovely, isn't it? But there is one imperfection, the owner of   
the room isn't pink!" He immediately tossed the rest of the   
paint onto Ryouga, who only managed to protect his face from the   
attack.  
  
"Ranma," he growled, though the threatening effect was lost by   
the shocking pink paint dripping from his hair and clothes. The   
pink monster lunged at the prankster, pushing him toward the   
still wet walls. Ranma tripped him with a foot and Ryouga pulled   
his opponent down with him. The two martial artists mock   
wrestled on the newspaper-covered floor, sending the brown and   
beige paint cans spilling over their bodies.   
  
Minutes later, both had calmed down enough to realise if they did   
not move soon, the paint would dry on their bodies. Then it was   
every man for himself as they dashed towards the bathroom. Ranma   
would have won the race if not for a sneaky arm pulling him away   
from the door. Resigned to the wait, the prankster stood in   
front of the locked door and shouted, "Hurry up!"   
  
After a long bath, Ranma opened the door, cursing at how   
difficult it had been to wash paint away from his long hair.   
Bare-chested and towelling his long hair, Ranma sauntered into   
the kitchen where the other boy had been waiting for him.   
"Where's my dinner?" the former asked.  
  
Ryouga pulled his eyes away from the enticing figure, dressed   
only in a pair of his cotton trousers, his throat suddenly dry.   
Swallowing back his drool, he answered with a jerk of his   
fingers, pointing to the microwave oven. When he was certain his   
voice wouldn't betray him, Ryouga scolded the other martial   
artist. "You're going to help me paint the room AGAIN tomorrow,   
Ranma. And this time I'm not going to let you out of my sight."  
  
Ranma nodded his assent, hiding a good-natured grin. Somehow,   
being pressed into hard labour again didn't seem so bad. Not if   
it gave him a chance to see his friend again.   
  
*********  
  
(Three weeks later)  
  
"Come on, Sayuri. What happened on your date yesterday?" asked   
Yuka, always inquisitive about other people's love lives.  
  
Sayuri blushed.  
  
"Ooh, it must have went very well," commented Akane. "Her ears   
have turned bright red!"  
  
Both girls laughed at their friend's discomfort. "Well?" they   
asked in unison.  
  
"Nothing much really. We just had dinner, then," Sayuri mumbled   
the next few words, "We kissed" then continued loudly, "And he   
sent me home."  
  
Yuka squealed in delight. "You kissed him!"  
  
Sayuri's blush deepened. "I'm meeting him again tonight. I   
can't wait." She sighed happily.  
  
Akane smiled. She could remember a time when she felt that same   
giddy feeling of happiness whenever she thought about Ranma.   
Awaiting his kisses and his embrace eagerly, like a junkie   
needing her fix. Her smile widened as the memory of their last   
kiss played back. When was that? Last week? No. A frown   
creased her forehead as she tried to remember. The week before?   
Too long ago. So long ago, that she couldn't remember, so long   
since she last felt an irresistible urge to be with him. When   
was she cured of her addiction to one Saotome Ranma? When?  
  
Someone was calling her name. Akane blinked and saw the   
concerned faces of her best friends.   
  
"Akane? Are you alright? You look terr"  
  
"I'm ok, guys," she hastily interrupted. Casting her melancholy   
aside, she continued cheerfully, "Come on, we better get moving,   
or we'll be late for class." Walking ahead, she winced, certain   
that they had known her cheerfulness was merely an act. Still,   
as the afternoon dragged on, they never mentioned it and for that   
Akane was grateful.   
  
*********  
  
Mental weariness overtook her as she neared the dojo, each step   
increasing her malaise, until she could hardly breathe. There   
was no need for her to do this. No need at all to question the   
extent of their relationship, the depth of their love. What's   
wrong with remaining in limbo? However, there was something   
pushing her towards that door, forcing her to move forward.   
  
She slowly slid the door open and watched mutely as Ranma   
practised his katas. His long ebony hair, now reaching the   
middle of his back, was tied in his customary pig-tail, swishing   
back and forth with every move he made. His boyish good looks   
had, in the past two years, evolved to the tall, handsome man she   
was staring at now. Muscles straining against the tight T-shirt   
as he smoothly executed a series of spinning kicks and aerial   
jumps that she had never seen before. As he punched an imaginary   
opponent with tightly controlled strength, Akane imagined those   
arms around her, enveloping her with his heat, his spirit and his   
love. Arms pulling her tightly into him, hands stroking her hair   
softly, faint whispers of affection more poignant than a dozen   
red roses...  
  
"Hi, Akane. Akane? Akane!"   
  
Startled from her daydream or was it a memory, she glanced at the   
frowning man.  
  
"Were you daydreaming?" The rest of his questions were left   
unspoken as Akane hugged him painfully tight. "Hey, not so   
tight, ok?" Ranma placed his hands on her waist and pushed her   
away slightly. "What's wrong?" he asked after they had stood   
here locked in an embrace for awhile.  
  
Akane merely shook her head. How could she possibly describe the   
myriad of emotions she was feeling? She felt as if she was   
standing on the edge of a cliff and was about to plunge. Yet she   
reluctantly admitted that it had to happen. That she would   
willingly dive down to the depths unknown, that she felt a tiny   
bit of relief and joy at the prospect of discovering the   
treasures below.   
  
Time slowed as her soft lips met his in a gentle kiss. Only when   
they pulled apart, Ranma noticed Akane's eyes shining with unshed   
tears. His fingers tried to wipe away an errant tear but Akane   
had moved out of reach.  
  
"Ranma, I realised something today, something about us. Well   
actually, I've known about it subconsciously for awhile now. I   
don't know how long exactly, I've been, no we've been suppressing   
the truth... I'm not making much sense, am I?" She drew a deep   
breath and expelled it harshly. Forcing herself to remain calm,   
she squeezed Ranma's hand and continued.  
  
Every sentence she said, no matter how gently phrased, cut deep   
wounds into his heart. And as though his subconscious was   
perversely enjoying the agony, he was unable to stop listening   
for even a second. Phases like, 'We were in love, once',   
'Somehow, we've drifted apart and it isn't fair to you or me if   
we let this drag on any longer', 'I'm sorry' replayed endlessly   
in his mind. And when he finally heard the words 'Let's break   
up', an involuntary cry of despair escaped from his lips.  
  
Akane stopped in mid-sentence and the silence began closing in on   
him, making the voices chanting in his head all the more louder.   
'I'm sorry.' 'I still care for you, Ranma, just not...' 'I'm   
sorry, Ranma.'   
  
Somehow, despite the almost physical pain in his heart and   
despite the tumultuous feelings threatening to swallow him whole,   
his pride had forced him to say, "I'm glad you think so, Akane.   
Because I've reached the same conclusion awhile back. There's   
certainly no use in staying together just to make Mr. Tendo and   
my old man happy."  
  
He turned away as the grateful look that his ex-girlfriend (his   
heart ached even more at that word) cast became too much to bear.   
He yearned to escape from that look, from this nightmare   
immediately but he adopted a nonchalant tone and said, "I think   
I'll take a bath now before anyone complains about the stench.   
The dojo's yours now."   
  
"Since I'm through with the katas for today," he hurriedly added.   
Languidly strolling to the door, he called out, "See ya."   
  
She watched mutely as he disappeared into the house. Only then,   
did she fall to her knees and wept. [Ranma, I'm so sorry. I'm   
sorry. But I'm no longer in love with you, not in the romantic   
sense. And I'm sure you feel the same way towards me too. It's   
better to make a clean break now. I don't want us to carry on   
like this and be pushed into a marriage without love. Can you   
understand that? I'm so sorry.]   
  
**********  
  
The doorbell rang continuously for two full minutes, its sound   
never sounded so irritating than this moment.  
  
"Hang on, I'm coming," shouted Ryouga as he kept one hand on one   
wall and frantically searched for the front door. He twisted   
open the knob and found himself in the kitchen. "As soon as I   
find the damn door," he mumbled.  
  
After walking up and down the confusing corridors, he was sure   
that he found it. Smiling, he opened the door. "Sorry to keep   
you waiting." The rest of his apologies died on his lips as he   
recognised the person standing in front of him.  
  
A familiar grin set in a boyish face. An equally familiar black   
pig-tail.   
  
"Ranma."  
  
"Wow. It only took you two minutes to find the door today. A   
miracle!"  
  
"Shut up, Ranma," replied Ryouga instantly but his words held no   
anger.  
  
Ranma merely smirked as he walked into the house and headed   
straight into the kitchen. Once there, he proceeded to open a   
can of beer chilled from the refrigerator. He looked at his one-  
time rival and gestured at his drink. Ryouga shook his head.   
  
"You know, maybe you should pray for a directional sense for your   
Christmas present. If you wish really, really hard, you might   
get it," mocked Ranma.  
  
"And maybe you should wish for good manners," countered Ryouga.  
  
"Oh, I have an abundance of that, can't you tell?" He gulped   
down his drink and opened another one. How he wished for some   
hard liqueur right now.  
  
Silence prevailed for a minute, as one stared at the cup in his   
hands while the other frowned. There was something in Ranma's   
mannerisms and tone that hinted of sadness. He wasn't sure what   
exactly had clued him of this fact, but he was sure of his   
deduction. As certain of that as the simple truth that Ranma   
would never voluntarily speak of his troubles. "Something's   
wrong," commented Ryouga.  
  
"What? You forgot to switch off your gas cooker or something?"   
teased Ranma but his cocky smile failed to reach his eyes.  
  
Ryouga took a single step forward and then another, staring deep   
into Ranma's eyes. Ranma nervously backed away, bumping his back   
onto the refrigerator. Never taking his gaze away from those   
turquoise eyes, Ryouga advanced further, stopping when there was   
barely an inch separating the two of them, trapping the other   
boy. Ranma looked away, his pride refusing to show any of his   
weaknesses, any ounce of pain, even to a friend. Ryouga's right   
hand tentatively lifted Ranma's chin and forced him to meet his   
gaze. "Tell me what's bothering you." The soft whisper was a   
command, not a request.   
  
[Rough hands but gentle. Almost like a lover's touch.] The   
strange thought flitted through Ranma's mind before it was   
forgotten.  
  
"Tell me," insisted Ryouga.   
  
So compelling was the soft voice that Ranma spoke the truth.   
"We've broken up." The soft gasp that Ryouga emitted gone   
unnoticed as Ranma pushed him aside.  
  
He paced the floor stiffly. "I never saw it coming. I mean, one   
day we were happy together and the next, we're over. Now that I   
think of it, I guess it was bound to happen. People having been   
saying it for years, right? We're both two stubborn people, the   
relationship would never last. Hell! The fact that it lasted   
all of eleven months, must seem like a miracle, right Ryouga?"  
  
Ryouga shook his head but Ranma did not notice.   
  
He continued pacing the kitchen floor, "So anyway, as of this   
afternoon, Akane is single and available. Yes, I think admirers   
are going to queue in front of the house tomorrow, carrying   
bouquets and shouting sappy poems about her high-spiritedness and   
her fair face. I'll be better off without her. I'll finally be   
able to go on a long training trip to China. With her around as   
my baggage, I would never be the top-notch martial artist."  
  
"Ranma, stop," Ryouga interrupted.   
  
"What! Don't stand there like you pity me. You are like   
everyone else, happy that you'll get a second chance to woo   
Akane. Yeah, you're probably planning what to surprise her with,   
aren't you?"  
  
The matter-of-fact tone of Ranma's shocked the other to the core.   
"No," he protested. "I've stopped thinking about Akane like that   
since I started dating Akari. You of all people should know   
that."  
  
"So what if you did? You broke up with Akari months ago. And   
wasn't her amazing likeness to Akane the reason why you fell for   
her in the first place? You're just using poor Akari as a   
replacement and now that the original Akane is available..."  
  
Every muscle in his body tensed up as he heard Ranma's words. He   
pulled his right arm back, preparing to punch the idiot as he   
growled, "Don't you dare insult what I felt for Akari!"   
  
Ranma's eyes blazed with rage, daring the only other occupant in   
the house to fight.  
  
Suddenly, Ryouga relaxed. "I realise what you're doing. You're   
just trying to goad me into fighting with you. You're very angry   
right now and you wanted an outlet for the pain and rage. But   
you can't fight all your problems straight on. Some problems   
there's just no... I won't be your punching bag, Ranma. But I   
can be a good listener, if you'll let me."  
  
"Go to hell!"  
  
An expression resembling remorse flickered in Ranma's eyes but   
before Ryouga could be certain, the former had ran off.   
  
**********  
  
"This is the place. Stop here." Ryouga paid the driver and   
opened the door.  
  
"Thank you. Have a nice evening."  
  
Attention fully concentrated on the small figure under the bridge   
that had to be Ranma, Ryouga mumbled, "Yeah" and stepped out of   
the cab.  
  
Wrinkling in disgust at the half-a-dozen six-packs of beer placed   
by Ranma's side, Ryouga kicked aside several empty cans and sat   
down beside the hunched figure. He watched as Ranma gulped down   
his beer, dropped the empty can, pulled off the tab of another   
can and drank this one just as hastily. [In just thirty minutes,   
he manages to raid the convenience store and get well on the way   
to being drunk. You always have to be an over-achiever, Ranma.]   
  
"Stop staring and start drinking," commanded Ranma as he tossed a   
can over to Ryouga.  
  
He started to protest but thought better of it. Nursing his   
drink, he leaned back and peered at the waxing moon.  
  
"I rea..lly rea..lly love her. You know?" Ranma shook the can,   
then peered at its side, as though he could see through the   
aluminium. "Now I hate her, hate A..ka..ne." Standing up, he   
flung the can away, aiming for the stretch of trees.   
  
"No, you don't," Ryouga replied, as he grabbed an off-balanced   
Ranma by the shoulders.   
  
Ranma bit his lower lip as he pondered that statement through.   
"I vish I did."   
  
[Yeah.] "Come on, you're drunk. Let's get you back to my place,   
ok?" Not waiting for a reply, Ryouga began steering him to the   
direction of the main road, preventing him from grabbing another   
drink.   
  
The taxi ride back home was uneventful, if you considered a   
drunken man singing love songs at the top of his lungs as   
commonfare. By the end of the journey, Ryouga was surprised to   
hear him sing a total of five songs by Speed. If Akari hadn't   
been such a huge fan of the four teenage girls that made up the   
J-pop group, Speed, Ryouga would never have recognised the songs.  
  
Thankfully, once they had entered the house, Ranma had already   
dozed off. Mrs. Mitsuki was already kind enough to let him stay   
in her home for a low monthly rent, it wouldn't do to repay such   
generosity by waking her up in the wee hours of the morning.  
  
Lifting Ranma over his shoulder, Ryouga peered into the darkness   
of the corridors. Finding his room in broad daylight was   
difficult enough, trying to find it now without waking anyone   
while saddled with Ranma made it even more difficult.  
  
Just as he was pondering over whether to head towards the right   
or left, the overhead light flickered on, revealing Mrs. Mitsuki.   
She only raised an eyebrow as she noticed his burden but made no   
comments. Instead she led the way to his room, then went to the   
kitchen to get some hot tea, fresh towels and a small basin.   
  
Tucking Ranma into his own bed, Ryouga grumbled a warning, "You   
better not puke on my bed or on the floor, or there'll be hell to   
pay."  
  
Ranma moaned and shifted towards the centre of the bed, as if to   
retort, "I'm not afraid of you. I'll make sure that I'll puke on   
your bed."   
  
Ryouga laughed at his own silliness. Interpreting a simple   
action like shifting in bed as a plan to sabotage his bed!   
  
He leaned forward to cover Ranma's body with the blanket,   
whispering the words, "Goodnight, Ranma." Watching him sleep,   
Ryouga felt an inexplicable sense of contentment wash over him.   
This was where he wanted to be, where he belonged. He lightly   
stroked the sleeper's ruddy cheeks, stopping only when Ranma   
moved again.   
  
Now, there was the matter of where he was going to sleep. He   
surveyed the room and eyed the floor speculatively but a sudden   
vision of Ranma vomiting his stomach's contents onto the said   
floor and onto himself, stopped Ryouga instantly. He could think   
of much better ways to wake up, than with the stench of vomit on   
his clothes. Barely smothering a yawn in time, he sprawled into   
the nearest chair and fell asleep.  
  
**********  
  
Feeling the fierce glare of the mid-day sun beating down on his   
eyelids, he reluctantly left the realm of dreams and awoke to a   
pounding headache. Staggering out to the bathroom, he rinsed off   
the lingering taste of beer from his mouth.   
  
His reflection in the mirror stared back at him with sorrowful   
eyes.  
"Look at how pathetic you are. Drowning your sorrows in cheap   
beer just because some girl dumped you. Stupid! Forget about   
what's her name. Concentrate on martial arts." He gazed   
steadily at the mirror, wearing a cheerful grin that he did not   
feel. "Forget about her," he repeated. His reflection's smile   
faltered. Suddenly, the room felt stifling and he desperately   
need to escape.   
  
Seconds later, he found himself in the small kitchen, decorated   
in a simple black and white motif.   
  
"You're up," commented the other boy as he removed a Tupperware   
container from the refrigerator. He sighed happily as he removed   
the lid and transferred two huge slices of blackforest cake onto   
two plates. He took a bite and sighed contentedly as the   
sweetness of the blackberries and the bitterness of the rum   
registered.   
  
[begin flashback]  
  
"What are you laughing at, Ranma?" screamed Akane in outrage.   
"Its your fault the kitchen is a mess!"   
  
He snickered, unable to contain the laughter, as he took in the   
sight of the once pristine kitchen looking like the battle ground   
of a major food fight and the flour-covered girl standing right   
in the middle of it.   
  
"Its all your fault!" reiterated the girl as she tore off the   
apron and scrubbed at the burnt contents inside the oven.   
  
He couldn't even fathom the logic of how Akane's typical culinary   
disaster was his fault but he made no move to defend himself.   
"Its ok. I bought a cake this afternoon." He moved to remove   
the blackforest cake from its hiding place behind the ice-cream   
containers.  
  
"I don't believe it. You thought I could never make an edible   
cake, so you went out and bought one instead. Never mind that I   
tried so hard to bake one, you never believed I could do it!   
Well, you can eat your cake all by yourself, I don't want it!"   
She shrugged off his arm and dashed into her room.  
  
After what Ranma deemed the 'Akane cooling off period' (which was   
about two hours for minor offences) had past, he tentatively   
knocked on the door.  
  
"Leave me alone!"  
  
He winced, maybe he had misjudged the length of the 'cooling off   
period'. Still, Saotome Ranma was no coward. He twisted open   
the door knob and entered, carrying a giant slice of the cake.   
"You must be hungry."  
  
Akane ignored him as she hugged her plush toy pig, aptly named P-  
chan.   
  
It looked like it was time to bring out the big guns. "I never   
meant it that way when I bought the cake. I didn't know you were   
going to bake one. And I don't care if you can cook or not. The   
Akane I love is uncute and a tomboy and can't cook a decent   
meal."   
  
"You were doing so well with the apology until the last line,"   
commented Akane irritatedly. But she grabbed a bite of the   
blackforest cake anyway.   
  
He smiled as he sat down next to her, feeding her another piece.   
Eager for a taste, he captured her lips and fully explored the   
sweet taste of the blackberries.   
  
Breathing harshly as the kiss ended, with a tinge of red   
brightening her cheeks, she fed him a small piece, licking away   
the cream stuck at the corner of his lips.   
  
And then he pushed the plate aside and pulled her body closer to   
his, seeking out her lips desperately.  
  
[end flashback]  
  
"Ranma!" The shout, just bordering on panic, shook him out of   
his reverie. The pig-tailed boy blinked, registering the kitchen   
and the concerned look his friend wore.  
  
"You ok?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," he lied, grinding his teeth together in an   
effort to block out the pain. The blackforest cake mocked him   
from the counter and he resisted the urge to smash his fist onto   
the dessert.   
  
The memory of that day still lingered, its sweetness now tinged   
with a bitter aftertaste. He remembered thinking that their love   
was like a never-ending rollercoaster ride - full of highs and   
lows. Two fiery teenagers falling into a relationship that was   
passionate and explosive - and therein lied the thrill. But   
despite the petty quarrels, he had never wanted to get off the   
rollercoaster.  
  
[Well, the rollercoaster ride is over now.]   
  
**********  
  
Time doesn't stop even though hearts were breaking. Classes   
still had to be attended, homework still needed to be done.   
Thus, Ranma attended school daily, stoically ignoring all the   
speculative looks and rampant rumours and tried not to stare at   
his ex-girlfriend who sat directly to his left. But when he   
reached Ryouga's place, he would either start training with a   
fervour, blocking every conscious thought out or sitting in the   
rocking chair, replaying all the memories they had shared.   
  
And Ryouga would always be there, fighting him when he needed an   
outlet for the pain or sitting next to him when he needed   
companionship, knees almost touching, providing some comfort by   
his mere presence.   
  
"I can't forget" he whispered softly, staring fixedly at a spot   
on the wall. "My mind just keeps pulling up memories of her and   
I can't stop it! Tell me it gets better," he pleaded, turning to   
cast an anguished gaze at his friend. "That everything I see   
won't remind me of her."   
  
The haunted, desperate look in his eyes revealed everything to   
the lost boy. Instinctively, he pulled Ranma into an embrace, a   
hand running slowly through the long braid, as gentle as a   
mother's or a lover's touch. He closed his eyes, letting hot   
tears flow freely down past his cheeks, crying for the one who   
couldn't shed a single tear.   
  
"I never did tell you why I left Akari," remarked Ryouga after a   
long silence. Pulled out of self-pitying thoughts by his   
curiosity, Ranma glanced at his friend.  
  
"I don't know why I never told you this before. Maybe it's   
because you already guessed when I showed up in Nerima   
unannounced and alone. Renting a room in Mrs. Misuki's house."   
He stared at the oil painting hanging from the mantel, depicting   
the tranquillity and isolation of a forest. The notable absence   
of animals gave it a feeling of loneliness - the essence of what   
he was feeling at the time he painted it. It wasn't exactly a   
picture suitable for display in the living room but Mrs Mitsuki   
merely smiled and commented that the animals were merely shy and   
were hiding just beyond the scope of the canvas, like him.   
  
"Ryouga?" questioned Ranma.  
  
"Just remembering the past, sorry. I was going to tell you about   
Akari and I, wasn't I?  
  
"I don't deserve someone like Akari, so innocent and devoted.   
Always felt this way. Always wondered if she would wake up one   
day and asked why she had a directionless fool who turned into an   
animal when in contact with cold water. But she never did. And   
how did I reward her feelings for me? By running away, screaming   
that I don't want to live out my entire life surrounded by pigs.   
That I hated pigs, detested them with all of my being.   
  
"You know what she said then?"   
  
When he uttered out those cruel words, he expected tears or   
anger. But nothing prepared him for the look of pity etched on   
Akari's face.   
  
"Oh, Ryouga," she replied softly, as though trying to calm a wild   
creature of the forest. "You have got to face the facts. You're   
not going to find a cure. How many times have you and Ranma   
tried? How many times have you failed? It's just not meant to   
be. It'll be so much easier if you could just accept your other   
form. Pigs aren't bad, you know. They're smart and cute. Just   
look at Katsunishiki, if not for him, we'd never have met. I'm   
not asking you to embrace your pig form and to love it. I'm just   
begging you, for your sanity, please try to accept P-chan. You   
can't spend the rest of your life, fearing cold water and P-  
chan."   
  
"No! I can't," replied Ryouga vehemently. "This is a curse and   
I will find a cure!"  
  
"Ryouga," she pleaded.  
  
His look of determination never wavered.  
  
She glanced down at his soft leather boots, her birthday present   
to him, realising that she would never get another chance to buy   
him boots or sew his clothes again. When her gaze moved to meet   
his eyes, she wore an equally determined look. "I can't pretend   
to understand how you feel. But if you really want to leave the   
pig farm, then I can't make you stay." Her voice broke as she   
spoke the next line, "Nor can I go with you. This place is my   
heritage, my identity and I can't abandon that. I'm sorry."  
  
He shook his head. "Goodbye, Akari."  
  
"Goodbye, Hibiki Ryouga." She bowed formally and then fled back   
into her home.  
  
"And then I started wandering, needing a fresh start. When I saw   
a sign stating there were rooms for rent available here, I walked   
in and met Mrs Mitsuki. The rest of the story you already know."  
  
Ranma smiled wanly at him, the look of one who knew what he went   
through.  
  
"It's different from your situation. I was no longer in love   
with Akari by then. Maybe I never was. I liked her, adored her   
even, but love?" [Love is a feeling reserved for someone else.]   
he added mentally. He stood up, changing the subject, "I'm going   
to get another soda, want one?"  
  
***********  
  
(A month later)  
  
"That was just a lucky kick," complained Ranma as she pulled   
herself out from the pond. Glancing down at her wet, translucent   
clothes, she crossed her arms in front of her chest, scowling.   
Years of being ogled by the boys in school had taught her modesty   
while in the female form. She was about to say something   
caustic, when she realised that her friend's eyes were not   
riveted to her chest. Instead, Ryouga had positioned himself for   
another attack, as if Ranma had not changed form. [Ryouga never   
treated my cursed form any differently before. How could I have   
thought otherwise now?] It was one of the things she liked about   
the Hibiki boy. To him, both the male and female versions were   
the same Saotome Ranma. And being in an environment where the   
female Ranma was desired by all the boys in school and the male   
Ranma was partly hated, partly admired by all, Ranma knew this   
exception was special.  
  
"Have you decided to give up?" taunted Ryouga.  
  
"Me? Oh no, I'm just warming up. Kachü Tenshin Amaguriken!" he   
yelled as he punched his way through Ryouga's defence. Ryouga   
lurched back, almost tripping as his foot slipped on the wet   
grass. Seizing the opportunity, Ranma grabbed his arms and   
tossed him into the pond.  
  
"Give up yet," purred Ranma as she fished the annoyed P-chan out.   
It wriggled desperately trying to escape her grasp but to no   
avail. Finally, it settled for an angry glare.   
  
The human laughed as she walked back to their home and turned on   
the warm water tap. When the tub was filled almost to the brink,   
she tossed P-chan in and jumped in herself.  
  
**********   
  
The clock chimed twelve yet neither boy felt like retiring to   
bed. Ranma smirked as he captured Ryouga's knight, and waited   
for the other's move.  
  
Ryouga glanced back at his roommate, seeing the contented,   
peaceful look on his handsome features. He had come a long way   
from the desolate broken creature that tried to drown his sorrows   
one night. And Ryouga hoped fervently that some of the happiness   
reflected in his expressive blue eyes was due to his presence.   
  
The next few minutes were a blur as Ryouga drank in his fill of   
his friend and love. He rarely dared to look at the desirable   
youth so openly, yet today seemed so magical, starting from the   
'Good morning,' Ranma spoke inches away from his face when they   
had awoken, to the spar they had earlier, filled with teases and   
smiles, to the bath afterwards where they had alternatively   
dunked each other, stopping only when Mrs. Mitsuki had protested   
loudly about bath water seeping under the door and flowing onto   
the corridor. It felt so natural to be together like this with   
Ranma, so natural to want him.  
  
"Checkmate!" yelled Ranma as he moved to life a chesspiece away   
from the board.   
  
Ryouga's hand covered the other boy's as he leaned in close,   
staring into those deep blue eyes, seeing himself reflected in   
them. For a brief moment, he froze, inhaling the scent that was   
in part masculine and part feminine, yet wholly Ranma. He took a   
deep breath, wrapping that scent, that unique essence, around him   
like a cloak, before brushing his lips against the other boy's.   
But that tiny touch was not enough to appease his hunger. Like a   
starving person, he grabbed onto Ranma's shoulders and pulled him   
closer, kissing him passionately, trying to convey all his   
feelings, hopes and dreams into that single kiss.   
  
Lungs burning with the lack of oxygen, the budding artist   
reluctantly pulled away. "Ranma," he moaned as he slowly opened   
his eyes. Only then had he realised one crucial thing - Ranma   
never participated in the kiss.   
  
He shifted backwards, creating some space between them, as he   
mentally berated himself for acting like Kuno, forcing his   
affections on one who was hurt before and was still carrying the   
scars.   
  
"Why?"  
  
Expecting harsh words or fast punches, Ryouga was naturally taken   
aback by the question, asked in a flat emotionless tone.   
"Because... because..." With each passing minute, he could sense   
Ranma withdrawing further, distancing himself from his friend.   
In desperation, he blurted out the first words that came to him.   
"Because I'm your friend and I wanted to be so much more."   
  
As though a dam had broken, his words gushed out, "Because I   
could see your pain and I wanted to be the one who healed you.   
And I was egotistical enough to think that maybe if I kissed you,   
you'd tell me that you love me too."   
  
He turned away, preferring to examine his feet, rather than to   
stare at the handsome, shell-shocked man-child. "You were the   
only one who didn't ignore me during Junior High as I could never   
find my way back to the classroom without detouring to Europe or   
other Asian countries first. Why bother befriending someone who   
was only in school a third of the time? But you were different.   
I never had a best friend until I met you. And one day, those   
feelings of friendship evolved into something more.   
  
"Why else would I follow you all the way to China and back? I   
thought maybe you were forced to leave, that you missed me as   
much as I... Anyway, you know how well that journey turned out   
to be. So I started blaming you for my curse, while berating   
myself for stupidly following a crush half way around the world   
and back. It was an accident I understand that now, but at that   
time-"  
  
"You needed someone to blame," interrupted Ranma. "And it was   
better to blame a person whom you can beat up rather than a vague   
thing like fate." His harsh tone was tempered by the   
understanding look in his eyes.   
  
"Yeah." For several brief moments, he floated in the bitter-  
sweet memories of the past, of developing a crush for the gentle   
yet high-spirited Akane, of the many duels with Ranma and of   
meeting Akari. But he wrenched himself away from those memories,   
for they would keep, safe and intact in the deep recesses of his   
mind. This opportunity with Ranma, however, was a one-time deal,   
a chance that might vanish in the next second. "But even during   
those times, there was a part of me that missed the good old days   
in Junior High. A part of me who missed you... God, I must   
sound like a hypocrite, acknowledging that I hated and liked you   
then. I'm just not saying this right!" Growling in frustration,   
he ran a hand through his locks and paced the floor restlessly.   
  
"I just... I just wanted to say I want you, damnit!" His cheeks   
burned brightly at the admission, yet he forged on. "Maybe it   
started several months ago, when we grew closer. And I fell,   
deeper than ever, all over again. Or maybe I never truly stopped   
feeling that way. I just knew that it was so easy, so natural to   
be your best friend, so easy to trust you, that the next step   
seemed so right. Ranma, I love-"  
  
"Stop! I don't want to hear this. I can't deal with it right   
now," screamed Ranma, dreading the three little words that his   
best friend, no, his ex-best friend who merely wanted to crawl   
into his pants, had almost uttered. The young Saotome turned to   
glance at him once before running towards the door.   
  
Ryouga held his breath as Ranma reached the main door and turned   
back. Hopes began soaring, despite his best efforts not to. But   
the pig-tailed boy's whispered words sent him on an express route   
to hell. "How could you do this to me?"  
  
Scarcely registering the sound of the door being slammed shut,   
Ryouga crumpled onto the cold parquet floor and began to weep.  
  
**********  
  
He ran, not caring how far, or where he was headed. Just as long   
as he could run away from the disturbing thoughts and myriad   
emotions spiralling in his head. Finally, when he could not take   
another step, he halted in front of a cafe.   
  
[How could he do this to me! Pretending to be my friend,   
pretending to be sympathetic when he's actually overjoyed at my   
break-up. And all this while, he's just be hoping to catch me on   
the rebound!] Those accusations sounded contrived and false even   
as he muttered them out loud. He understood his childhood friend   
well - the latter had no skill for deceit. In fact, that was   
part of his charm, aside from his fierce loyalty and sensitive   
nature.   
  
[Ryouga's a good friend, one of the few I have left. And he was   
there when I needed someone the most. But I can't be with him   
just because I'm grateful to him. He deserves someone who loves   
him above everything else, someone who can return his kisses with   
equal fervour.] He blushed as he remembered the intensity of   
those kisses, the memory of them still made him tingle inside.   
  
"But how am I to resolve this situation?" he asked aloud.  
  
[It's not that I don't find him attractive. He does have lovely   
tousled hair, that I would love to...] He blinked. Where did   
that thought come from? He never thought of Ryouga that way   
before, hadn't he?  
  
[Weren't you the one ogling at him when he transformed back after   
you threw him into the tub, just hours ago? And weren't you the   
one who watched him change clothes, when he wasn't looking?]  
  
[That's different! I was merely curious.]  
  
[Really?]  
  
[Oh, shut up.]  
  
An hour later, Ranma was still seated at the cafe, nursing his   
third cup of coffee. [Ok, so maybe you were right. I was   
looking. But that doesn't mean I like him in that way. I still   
haven't gotten over her completely. And I can't start anew with   
someone else, until I get over Akane. So what should I do?]  
  
The sarcastic inner voice remained silent.  
  
*********  
  
'Dear friend,  
  
I need some time to think about this. Please don't follow me.   
I'll come back when I have an answer.  
  
Your best friend always,  
  
Saotome Ranma.'  
  
Ryouga clutched the scrap of paper to his chest as he glanced out   
of the window. It had been 43 days since Ranma left and taken   
the better part of his soul with him. On some days, he kicked   
himself for making his moves too early, forcing Ranma to leave.   
On other days, he would take out this letter and be comforted by   
the fact that Ranma still treated him as a friend.   
  
But never once, had he thought of abandoning his wait. For the   
wait, no matter how long was worth it so long as there was a slim   
chance of Ranma returning back to him.   
  
[For him, I would gladly wait decades, till the moment I expel my   
last breath and then to the world beyond.] An ironic smile   
curved his lips. [Now, why didn't I think of that when I had to   
do a poetry assignment last week?]   
  
"Ryouga?"  
  
The familiar voice, speaking his name hesitantly, lanced through   
Ryouga's thoughts, bringing him back to reality.   
  
He turned back slowly, not wanting to destroy the illusion. But   
the familiar face sent his spirit soaring as he resisted the urge   
to run forward and embrace him.  
  
Ranma removed his backpack from his shoulders and set it on the   
floor. He shifted from foot to foot nervously as he stood in the   
doorway, not daring to enter Ryouga's room.  
  
[He's as nervous as I am,] realised Ryouga as he stared at the   
other martial artist.   
  
"Uh, Mrs. Mitsuki let me in," he said, breaking the silence.  
  
"Oh."   
  
"Ryouga?" Ranma glanced at the apprehensive boy who had his   
fingers clenched into fists. He had seen the joyous look on   
Ryouga's face, the way he had almost ran towards him when Ryouga   
first realised he was back. But then, Ryouga suddenly stopped,  
staring at him with a mixed look of fear and shock. [To   
have so much power over him,] remarked his inner thoughts. He   
didn't want such a heavy responsibility. Yet his feet kept   
advancing slowly to the figure by the window. "Ryouga," he   
whispered as he invaded his friend's personal space.   
  
Terrified eyes, mixed with a little longing, met his own blue   
eyes.   
  
Ranma smiled. "I've come back. To you."  
  
A cry of joy escaped Ryouga's lips as he hugged Ranma tightly,   
sobbing in relief.   
  
The feel of Ryouga's muscled body pressed against his own felt so   
natural, so right, that Ranma sighed and pulled him even closer.   
He planted kisses along Ryouga's delicious long neck, then his   
face, tasting salty tears. And when their mouths finally met,   
expressing their desperate need for each other, Ranma was   
addicted. Addicted to Ryouga, heart, body and soul.   
  
[Ryouga and Ranma. Best friends and lovers.] Yes, that sounded   
just right.   
  
  
  
THE END 


End file.
